I'm Nobody's Second Choice
by tonguemarksonmymirror
Summary: What if that bed and breakfast scene in 3x19 had ended a little differently? Emma doesn't seem pleased with the source of Regina's newfound happiness, and they talk. SwanQueen. Rated T for language.


**Author's Note:** Sometimes I get fic ideas when I should be doing other things like studying for finals. Oops. But I just had to write this. Hope you like it! Please review!

_*Note* _There's a little tiny bit of OQ in the beginning, but it's only what we saw on the show. The rest is pure, unadulterated SwanQueen.

_Standard Disclaimer:_ I don't own the show, the characters, the plot, the dialogue, or any of Regina's snarky remarks. I just own my own ideas.

He kissed her, sweetly but passionately, meshing his body to hers. She smiled into the kiss, eyes closed, basking in the bliss. A second chance…this was what she needed. Someone who knew her and wanted to be with her all the same. This was what she deserved. Her happy ending.

They broke the kiss, Robin nuzzling her nose gently as they looked at each other, before she said her farewell and entered Emma's room, a bit more giddy and glowing more than she had intended. The room's occupants noted the change in her usually stoic composure, especially Emma, who perked right up, tilting her head in confusion.

Damn. They were onto her. She would have to do a better job of hiding it. Snow decided to tease her, despite Regina's glares, earning herself a quip about Haagen-Dazs and the considerable size of her stomach. There. That should silence them.

But no. Emma _had_ to bring up that insufferable pirate. Not yearning, sure. Regina was willing to bet another branch from her tree that she had feelings for him. She swallowed her anger and fired off another snarky comment, calling him the "handless wonder". Regina had enough of that juvenile leather-clad moron, and she didn't want Emma to have anything to do with him. So she quickly turned the conversation back to the matter at hand.

As they talked, Regina observed Emma. She seemed uptight, tense, uncomfortable; more so than the situation would have warranted. Just as the Charmings decided to go look for the book, she knew she had to ask. She crossed the room to Emma, putting a hand on the chair behind Emma.

"You two go ahead. Emma and I will catch up" she said authoritatively, making it clear they had no choice in the matter.

They looked confused, Emma most of all as she turned to face Regina, but Regina had placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it in warning. Emma swallowed.

"Uh, yeah, we'll catch up. Don't wait up" she said gruffly, shooting daggers at the brunette above her.

Her parents looked at her and nodded, leaving the room. Regina sat down on the couch, close to Emma.

"What the hell was that, Regina?" Emma hissed, glaring at Regina. "Why did you keep me here? What's the matter with you?"

Regina gave a hollow chuckle. "Me? What about you trying to freeze me with your eyes during that entire discussion! Seriously, I could feel the room temperature drop about ten degrees!"

"Well it must have been a nice little cool down, because I bet it was nice and toasty in that hallway with whoever was making you act like a fucking teenager!" Emma yelled, not even trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"Robin? Is that what this is about? That's why you were being so frosty to me?" Regina quirked her eyebrow in surprise.

Emma stared at her angrily. "So that's who it is? Robin Hood? The thief? Really, Regina, I thought you had better taste than that."

Regina regarded her, trying to figure out her motives. "He's not what you think. He's actually quite honorable. When he looks at me, do you know what he sees? He sees me. Not the Evil Queen. He sees me as I am. Just now, he said I was his second chance. Do you know what that means? He _chose_ me. It's been so long since anyone's chosen me. So yes, I want to be with him, because he wants to be with me and he makes me happy. Is a little happiness too much for me to ask from this wretched life?"

Emma just gaped after that speech. "Regina, he lost your heart. Do you really think this is a smart idea? Do you really want to be with someone who just sees a second chance for himself? How long has he even known you? What do you really know about him?"

It was Regina's turn to glare. "I know that he wants to be with me despite my past, and that is enough. I really don't see how this is any of your business, Miss Swan. Don't you have your family and Captain Guyliner to find?" Her voice was dripping with acid as she spoke.

"Leave my family out of it. And I already told you, there is nothing between me and Hook. No matter how much he might think otherwise. I don't yearn, remember?" Emma defended, looking annoyed at the accusation.

"Well, you two have certainly spent a lot of time together lately" Regina remarked casually. "I was beginning to think you were starting to have feelings for that pubescent pirate."

"Okay, can we stop with the name calling? What are you, twelve, Regina? If you have something to say to me, just say it!" Emma cried, feeling fed up with the situation.

Regina took a deep breath to collect herself and push down her anger. "Whom I choose to see is none of your business, Miss Swan. Now I will go to find your insufferable parents, and I suggest you do the same." She rose to leave, going to the door, but Emma spoke.

"Like hell it isn't" she snarled. "What if he hurts you? What if he leaves? I can't let that happen."

Regina turned, surprised at her words, yet wounded at the same time. "You mean like you did?"

Emma's mouth hung open comically. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"You heard me, Miss Swan. When you and Henry left…it destroyed me. I didn't know what to do with myself. I wandered about aimlessly for a year. Who knows what happened? Maybe Robin and I were together for that time. My point is, my happiness had been taken from me. What was so wrong about me trying to get some of it back?"

"Oh, you can't possibly blame me for that, Regina" Emma said in a low voice. "You were the one who insisted that we leave. If anything, you kicked me out."

"Do you think I wanted to?" Regina exclaimed, fighting the tears that wanted to form in her eyes. "I did it for Henry! I wanted him to have his best chance, with you!" Tears were stinging the corners of her eyes as she struggled not to let them show.

"I see" Emma's voice was controlled, level, devoid of any emotion. "Just for Henry. Nice to know that the time we spent together meant nothing to you. Thanks for abandoning me, just like everyone else did."

"Emma, you know that's not true. But you're a child of this world. It would have been cruel to make you learn the ways of the Enchanted Forest when you're so used to life here. I wasn't abandoning you; I was looking out for you. Emma, you have to believe me" Regina pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes.

"So it was better to leave me and Henry all alone?! To have the first person to find us from our world be Hook? Seriously, do you know what he did when he found me? He just kissed me, like it was no big deal! Was that your way of protecting me? Taking care of me?" Emma yelled, not caring that Regina was on the verge of tears.

Regina stopped, looking at Emma in surprise. "You mean you really don't have any feelings for him?"

"Yes!" Emma shouted. "That is what I have been trying to tell you! I have zero feelings for Hook! It was you, Regina; it was always you. But I guess you didn't feel the same way, if your smeared lipstick is any indication."

Regina hastily wiped the edges of her mouth, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "Emma…" she trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"So just because the guy wanted to kiss you, you went for it? Seriously, Regina; I thought you wanted more than that."

Regina was getting very frustrated. "For the last time, Emma, I 'went for it' because Robin said he was interested in me. He wanted a second chance. I do too. I'm sorry if that hurts you, Emma. That wasn't my intention. But this is what it is."

Emma looked like she was about to punch the wall. Instead, she took a deep breath and looked right at Regina. "Do you know what I see?"

"Excuse me?" Regina was confused.

"When I look at you. Do you know what I see?" Emma asked insistently.

"What do you see, Emma?" Regina responded.

"I see Regina. You're just a woman who's had some pretty shitty things handed to her by life, but you kept right at it. You did the best you knew how. You're a fighter, you're strong, you're beautiful, and you're the mother of my child. When I look at you, I see Regina, without the masks and the trapping, and you take my breath away." Emma answered sincerely, giving Regina that smile that made her feel like a winner.

Regina was speechless. "Emma…I" Emma shook her head.

"Save it. If you'd rather be with a thief who could hurt you, I get it. I said what I had to say. I'll go now." Emma stood up to leave, but Regina stopped her.

"Wait, Emma. I'm sorry. I didn't know you felt this way. I thought it was just me." Hope flickered in Emma's eyes. "When you and Henry left, I saw you crying, but I thought it was just everything that was going on. Leaving behind your family, the curse…I knew you were interested in me on some level, Emma. But I also knew that your family would be against it, and if you were forced to decide, that you'd choose them over me. I may have suffered much over the years, but I still have my pride and my dignity. And I'm nobody's second choice." Regina sighed, the tears having retreated, but her voice still feeling their effect.

"Right. You're just someone's second chance" Emma said bitterly, crossing her arms like a child.

Regina smiled. Emma was adorable when she was being petulant. "Well maybe he's my second chance too. I lost my love many years ago, and I lost you too, before I even had you. Robin wants me." She stated.

"Haven't you been listening? I want you too. It's always been you. Ever since that first day at the mines. Up until then, you were bitchy Madam Mayor- which don't get me wrong, was really hot- but I didn't really see you. That day, I saw a mother afraid to lose her child. I saw a woman who was hurting and scared. Ever since then, I've wanted to be with you and get to know you, all of you." Emma smiled again, looking at Regina as if she made the sun shine.

"You thought I was bitchy?" Regina put a hand over her chest, feigning offense. "How dare you?"

"Really? I confess my feelings for you and _that's_ what stuck out to you?" Emma pouted, causing Regina to melt.

"Is that…true?" Regina asked softly. She hadn't felt anyone's love so deeply since Daniel.

"Of course, Regina. I wouldn't lie to you, not anymore. You scared me, but you always fascinated me. When you were with Graham, I was jealous. At first I thought I was jealous of you, but then I realized it was of him. I was jealous that he got to spend time with you and be close to you like that. It wasn't until after he…died" Emma swallowed "that it sunk in."

Regina looked at her with care in her eyes. "Emma, I'm so sorry."

"I've gotten over it" Emma said, trying to be reassuring. "I spent so much time trying to solve the puzzle that was Regina Mills. Madam Mayor. The Evil Queen. But that day at the mines, when you stopped the failsafe" Emma looked at her seriously. "That day, you told me that you wanted to die as Regina. And that was when I figured out that there was no puzzle to solve. You were just Regina, and that was all you ever needed to be. And that was the person I was smitten with" Emma grinned mischievously at Regina , who smacked her arm. "So, if you'd rather be with your second chance, just tell me. But you've always been my first choice."

Regina shook her head, smiling even more widely than she had when she'd entered the room. "You've always been mine too. I just thought I couldn't have you. You were the savior, the daughter of Snow White and her Charming. You're too good for me. I never thought you'd want to be with me. When you believed me about Archie, I thought you might have been different than them, and seen more to me, but then they convinced you otherwise. After that, it was far too risky for me to even try." Regina took a breath, letting Emma process.

Emma shook her head. "No more titles. I've always been just Emma, and to me, you've always been Regina. No more evil queens and saviors. Just Emma and Regina. Okay?" she asked.

Regina nodded. "I always cared for you, though. I gave you and Henry your happy endings, knowing it was all I could do. But I never forgot you, Emma. I never could. Not even now, in the hallway, with Robin, who's supposed to be my soulmate" She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear self-consciously.

Emma touched Regina's arm. "Hey, listen. Let's not do the fairytale thing anymore. We're not characters in someone's book. We're real people. We live our own lives, and write our own happy endings. And I think I want my happy ending to be with you, and Henry." Emma smiled at Regina.

Regina smiled back. "I think I want that too" she said simply.

Emma beamed. "There you go, telling the truth again."


End file.
